Community volunteers aiming to improve road safety caught thousands of drivers speeding in west London residential areas in just six months.

Community Roadwatch, launched by Transport for London (TfL), police and London boroughs in August 2015, allows residents to work with the Police Safer Transport Team for their borough, using speed guns provided by TfL.

In Ealing , 2,036 speeding drivers were caught over just 61 sessions and 2,021 were caught in Hounslow over 71 sessions.

Warning letters are sent to drivers caught speeding to emphasise its dangers and information about hotspots is passed on to police to inform their future activity.

A "Community Road Watch" takes place in Shepherds Bush to help reducing speeding.

TfL director of compliance and policing Steve Burton said: "Community Roadwatch gives local residents the opportunity to work side by side with their local police teams to make a real impact in their community and we’re delighted to see such positive results.

"We are working hard to create a road network which is free from death or serious injury. As well as funding Community Roadwatch, our Vision Zero approach to reducing road danger includes working with local boroughs to make safety improvements at junctions, implement more 20mph speed limits and promote better vehicle design.

"We’re also cracking down on dangerous drivers who put themselves and other road users at risk, by enforcing offences such as speeding, using mobile phones or dangerous driving."

TfL provided two speed guns for every London borough, which are also used by police for enforcement activity.

John Ryan takes part in a "Community Road Watch" session

In Hammersmith and Fulham, where volunteers caught 800 drivers, fewer than 2% went on to reoffend.

Hammersmith and Fulham volunteer John Ryan said: "I’m proud to be part of Community Roadwatch, working with 15 other volunteers in the area to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding and make a difference in our local community.

"I’m often shocked to see people driving over double the speed limit near schools and in residential areas and we often get people pulling over to thank us for our help, suggesting other times and locations when speed is a problem.

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"By monitoring speed and sending warning letters, our Community Roadwatch work deters dangerous drivers and shows that we won’t accept people using our local roads as rat runs."

Local residents can take part in Community Roadwatch or suggest a residential area for monitoring by contacting CommunityRoadwatch@met.police.uk and stating the borough they live in. The enquiry will be forwarded to the relevant MPS Safer Transport Team.